


Ravenstag Hall

by LovableCynic



Series: Hannibal: Highschool! AU [1]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: AU, Fluff, Fo' real, Hannibal isn't a cannibal, Hannibal's canon backstory used, Highschool AU, Hurt/Comfort, In Virginia somehow, M/M, Pretentious All-boys boarding school, Slash, Slow Burn, Sweet love, Will is adorable, Winston is the breakout star, current setting, future sickfic! chapters, no smut (yet), slightly adjusted for different era
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-30
Updated: 2014-07-02
Packaged: 2018-02-06 22:15:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1874442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovableCynic/pseuds/LovableCynic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Welcome to the all-boys boarding school in lovely Wolftrapp, VA!</p><p>Will, the scholarship student, feels out of place surrounded by all the rich (and socially adept) students of the school, until he realizes his roommate, the mysterious Hannibal Lecter, can relate to him more than he could have expected.</p><p> </p><p>(Warning: male versions of all characters except Bedelia as of now)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to Ravenstag

From where he stood, the rustic yet opulent iron wrought gates loomed above him, the ivy that snaked its way around the bars seemed chafing, suffocating and ominous. The bright brick walls that made up the grand institute, spattered with ornate windows and yet more ivy, beckoned him. Will sighed, his breath in sync with the winds that rustled up falling leaves. Will trudged through the crackling shades of dusky red and burnt copper and made his way through the gates, past the neat sign that read,

_Wolf Trapp Academy For Gifted Boys._

Will couldn't help but scoff at the superfluous name. It almost seemed _too_ gaudy to him, reminding him of the shiny pamphlet that had come to his home, to alert him of a scholarship. Yet he had accepted it, for mainly two reasons.

 

One: despite all the pomp and gossip, if you weren't here just to waste money, you could learn from some of the best.

Two: He would be away from dad.

 

Will shuddered and readjusted his backpack, pushing aside the thought for until after he'd found the front office. He gripped tighter onto the handle of the kennel he was holding and walked to the building named office, hoping it was the right one.

Oh, and there was one more reason Will accepted the scholarship.

 

Three: he could bring his dog, Winston.

 

Now, it stated in the policy that if his roommate didn't agree, the dog would have to stay out on the lawn if it was a ground level floor, or in the kennels. Because apparently rich boys all had hunting hounds and there was a need for fully-staffed kennels. Sigh. Will hoped that whoever his roommate turned out to be, they were a dog person.

Will entered the office, surprised already by just how lavish even the campus office was. Rich, dark wood floors, plush chairs around a wood-burning stove, an oak grandfather clock, rugs that cost more than Will's home, and the granite-topped wooden counter desk that looked like it belonged in a five-star hotel rather than in a mere office. Will timidly approached the desk, towards the one secretary there. Will had arrived early so as to avoid the stares and glares of the rich and snobbish boys, but he hadn't realized how lucky he was that the place was actually open. The secretary looked up at the sound of Will's shaky footfalls. She smiled warmly, taking in Will's appearance and noting he was most definitely this year's scholarship student; not a trace of arrogance or wealth on him. She hoped to avoid scaring him, the shyness rolled off him in waves.

"Welcome to Wolf Trapp Academy. How may I help you?" She said.

Will stiffened, then stammered, "I'm here to check in... f-for school. And my dorm." Will cringed at his failure of a response.

"What's your name, dear?" She asked, already typing into the computer just out of Will's sight. "Will Graham." He replied, then hastily added, "And I have a dog, do I need extra forms for that?"

The secretary shook her head. "It says here you filled out the basic forms already, that's all you need. Lots of the boys here have dogs, so there's no need to worry." She informed him. She then turned to the small printer on the desk and after a moment handed Will a thick stack of papers.

"This has your class schedules, some maps, your dormitory number and your keypad password for all the campus buildings. Also some other information on upcoming out of class events, but don't worry, there will be lots of information seminars tomorrow, with more information." The secretary told him. Noting his overwhelmed expression, she smiled and asked, "Do you need any help finding your dorm?"

Will gave a small, polite smile and said, "No, thank you though." Before collecting his belongings and heading out the door, into the crisp Virginia air.

 

Will could hear the emptiness of the place echoing through the courtyard as he walked toward the dormitory buildings. The one he was placed in was in Ravenstag Hall, a name which intrigued him. Unfortunately, his dorm was not on the ground floor, so Will hoped all the more that his roommate, whenever he showed up, would be open to Winston staying in the room during the night. The bright side was that Ravenstag Hall was the only dormitory here that had balconies, and it was rumored to be the most favorable hall, which made Will question why he was placed in it. When Will reached the door he entered the code into the keypad that was on his admission forms, and sighed in relief when the door clicked and the keypad blinked green. He opened the door and pushed his belongings in, hoping not to jostle Winston out of his sleep, and walked toward the spiral staircase. Ever fortunate that he only had his kennel and backpack, Will walked up, checking for his floor, then walking down the hallway, following the pattern of the numbered doors to where his was. Room 237.

Will looked at the door for a moment, nervous but mostly excited. His roommate wouldn't be there- cars had only just started to pull up outside when Will had left the front office. But he wanted to, if only for a moment, imagine who this stranger that he would be spending the year- and, presumably, the next three, too- with. Will was.... socially challenged, to say the least. But that didn't mean he wasn't capable of creating friends and didn't want to. He was almost eager to meet this roommate, which puzzled Will. After all, it was more likely than not he would turn out to be an arrogant jerk with more money than manners. But Will had hope yet. Finally he mustered up the courage to open the room to his door, only to have it shatter beneath him when he saw the worn leather bags on the bed by the window, and the back of the tall boy currently unpacking from said bags.


	2. Roommates, Bullies and Nightmares, Oh My!

Will stood still in the doorway, but the boy's keen ears heard the movement and he turned on his heels and straightened himself to greet Will. Will held back a shaky breath as he took in the form of the boy before him. He was tall and his shoulders broad, and it appeared as though behind his impeccable suit that the muscles underneath were taut but rather lean. His face was chiseled, his cheekbones high and pronounced, his lips thin but shapely. His hair was a shade Will had never seen before, best described as ash blonde, and a few strands hung in his face, yet managed to look neat. And his eyes. Gray, but when the sunlight filtering through the window hit his face, he could see a glimmer of maroon. The boy smiled at Will and took a few steps closer.

"Hello. You must be my roommate?" He said. His voice was surprisingly deep, and tinged with a heavy but clear accent. European, no doubt, but Will had never heard anything quite like it. It sounded like velvet. Will looked up at the boy and managed a faint smile.

"Yes, that would be me." Will said. The boy smiled warmly and came closer, and held his hand out for Will, who was still in the doorway.

"Well, I'm Hannibal Lecter. And you are?"

Will looked at Hannibal's hand for a moment before forcing himself to shake it, and looked back up.

"Will. Will Graham"

Hannibal smiled and backed away to let Will in the door. Will took in the room. The furnishings weren't nearly the level of the offices or study halls, but still more than what Will was used to. The two beds had deep red duvets and pillows, the desks were dark wood- walnut perhaps?- and on the other end of the room were a small sofa, an armchair, a wood stove, and the sliding door that led to the small balcony, currently half covered by thick black curtains. Hannibal had begun to put his belongings on the bed closest to the window. Will was silently glad- windows made his nightmares worse. Hannibal sat on the edge of his bed and watched Will set his few things upon his own bed. Will then remembered Winston and turned to Hannibal.

"I..I brought my dog with me, would you be okay if he stayed in here? I mean, just for the nights really, not while we're in class and-"

"Yes that would be quite alright." Hannibal said warmly, noting how nervous Will had become. Will smiled and set his kennel down on the floor.

"Thanks," he said, "Is it okay if I let him out?"

"Of course." Hannibal said, thinking how glad he was that his uncle packed him lint rollers, and thinking he would ask for more soon. Will knelt down to the cage and opened the door. Winston slowly walked out, still waking up from the nap he took in the car. Hannibal smiled, despite the fact that Winston appeared to have relatively long fur, because the dog seemed mild-mannered enough and didn't reek. He could tell Will had washed his dog thoroughly the night before, smelling faint traces of soap, likely to appease his roommate.

He wanted to be welcome.

"His name's Winston." Will said, noticing Hannibal's gaze. Hannibal smiled and crouched down near Winston.

"May I?" He asked, extending a hand towards the fluffy dog. Will nodded and Hannibal let Winston lick his fingers before petting his head. While watching Hannibal smile and pet Winston, Will noticed that the three-piece suit Hannibal wore was not school uniform- it was far nicer. Dark gray suit, deep purple silk vest, and black button-up shirt, and a paisley tie that matched his vest, tucked neatly into his vest rather than hanging loose like those of most prep school boys. Will could only imagine how exorbitant this boy's wealth was to be wearing clothes even finer than the elite school's uniform. And how he managed to pull it off with such poise and maturity without also exuding an air of arrogance. Not once had he grimaced at Will's faded plaid shirt and khakis, not to mention he was petting Will's mutt. Will saw Hannibal glance at him and realized he had been staring into space. _C'mon Will, try the socializing thing._

"So, you know we don't have to wear the uniform until classes start, right?" He said, instantly regretting it.

_Oh, great job Will, that didn't come out wrong at all_

But Hannibal chuckled and stood up, letting Winston scramble onto Will's bed.

"Yes, I am quite aware, Will," he said, "I thought I should make a favorable first impression, I hope it doesn't come off as ostentatious."

Will stood up to face him. "No, you pull it off well, without looking like one of the annoying posh kids." He replied, hoping it came across as a compliment. It apparently did, because Hannibal smiled- almost shyly, but it was undetectable.

"Thank you, Will."

Will couldn't help but smile back.

 

While the two unpacked their bags, Will mostly watching in awe just how many suits Hannibal had, the sounds of other boys flooded through the halls. The greetings of old friends, the clanging of heavy leather cases rolling into rooms, and the general noises of people. Will hoped it was only first day excitement and that the nights would be quiet.

"Will?"

Will turned to Hannibal, who was standing by the open closet.

"Yes?" He replied.

"Would you like to hang your clothes in the closet? I believe I brought a few too many suits, I don't want to take up the space-"

"Nah, it's fine," Will said, with a dismissive wave of his hand, "The only clothes I have that can't really get wrinkled would be my uniforms and I already hung them up." Will pointed to the hook beside his desk where the two maroon blazers hung. Hannibal looked up at the jackets and nodded.

"Very well, but if you should change your mind I would not mind moving some clothes out of the way." He stated before hanging up the last of his suits, including a tuxedo with- were those really coattails? Will wondered how Hannibal could manage to wear that without looking like a conductor.

Will took out the last of his clothes and laid them in the drawer under his bed. Winston was curled up on the covers, but reluctantly moved to the dog bed Will placed at the foot of his bed. Once Will finished with his few belongings he looked over to Hannibal, who was moving many books to his desk, and a wooden box onto the uppermost shelf. Unlike the rest of his belongings, Will noticed, the box was scuffed and faded in some spots. There was even a dent in the side. Clearly it had some form of sentimental value if he would hold onto such a beat up box. Hannibal finally emptied the last of his bags and stowed them in the back of the closet.

"Hey, so how come you were here even earlier than I was?" Will asked, genuinely curious. Hannibal sat on the end of his bed.

"Well, the only flight here from home arrived at four in the morning, and by the time I had gotten through customs and such it was not really worth checking into a hotel, so I came here early." He explained, while remembering just how tired he was- hopefully he could maintain his composure until later.

"Oh." Will said. Then, because he couldn't help himself, Will asked, "Where are you from, anyway?"

Hannibal gave a stiff smile before replying, "Lithuania."

Will nodded while mentally reminding himself where Lithuania was on the map. That explained the accent, no wonder it seemed so unfamiliar.

"What's it like there?" Will asked, hoping to begin a conversation. Hannibal became tense and his eyes flitted away to gaze at the floor.

"Different." Hannibal said. He met Will's face and saw the confusion, and quickly followed with, "I'm sorry, I'm a bit tired, perhaps I can tell you more about it another time." Will seemed to calm once Hannibal made it clear he hadn't offended him, and then Hannibal asked about Will's home. Will happy told him of his home- only about half an hour from the school- and of the fishing and hiking he would do there. Hannibal thought perhaps he ought to tell Will at least something about Lithuania, to make up for his curt response before, when the clock tower struck. Will rummaged through his schedule papers and found that the sound meant lunchtime. Will paled. All of the nerves that Hannibal's presence somehow dispelled now returned in full force.

Lunch.

With other humans.

Will held back a shudder as the two left the room, following the other boys out of the dorm.

 

"Hey there specs? What's your name?"

Will looked up from staring at the table to meet the smiling face that greeted him. He silently wished Hannibal had found his way to the table already so that he wouldn't have to answer, but he sensed no malice, so he smiled faintly and replied, "Will."

"Oh, are you one of the new kids? I mean, as in you didn't come here for eighth grade? Cool! I'm Alan!" The blue-eyed boy spoke happily, not letting Will answer the question, although he knew the answer anyway. Will had underestimated how many students started here before high school, apparently. Alan looked as though he was ready to sit across from Will when another boy called over him.

"Sorry," Alan said as he stood up, "I have to sit with them, haven't seem them all summer, but I betcha we'll have classes together, so see ya around." Will smiled back.

"See you." He replied, watching Alan leave. It could have gone worse. Much worse. Will turned to his plate when he sensed more people approaching him. But when he looked up, the three boys standing before him shared none of the childish friendliness that Alan bore. They exuded danger. The tallest of them was Tobias; dark skinned, buff, and had a glare that could pierce through steel. His friend Franklyn stood beside him, not as strong but just as cruel. And beside them was Freddy, a red head with a penchant for nasty rumors and nastier insults. Will felt the blood drain from his face.

_Aw man, not even Hannibal could help now, even if we are kind of friends- there's three of em._

"Looks like we've found our lucky scholarship kid." Spat Tobias, his caustic words garnering a chuckle from his companions.

"Scholar boy, since you're new we'll tell you how things work. Let this one time slide." Franklyn said cockily.

"...What?" Was all Will could mutter. The three laughed.

"Scholarship kids don't sit in the dining hall, idiot." Freddy said. "There's a crappy ole bench outside juuuust for you."

"I beg your pardon?"

The three bullies turned, their faces blank and the wicked mirth gone from their faces. Will sat still too. How could one voice be so calm and yet so angered?

Hannibal stepped closer and glared at the three, his hands behind his back. His jaw was set firmly and his glowering eyes gleamed scarlet in the light. Even if the anger was in his defense, it unnerved Will a little.

However, to the rest of the world, that hadn't heard Hannibal's frigid tone, it was not at all visible that Hannibal was put off- he remained calm, his expression forcibly blank.

"Hey, aren't you that new kid? From that weird place in Europe?" Freddy asked. Of course, Freddy made it a point to get all the dirt on every student. Hannibal cocked an eyebrow in derision.

"Perhaps, but I don't believe you heard me earlier." Hannibal replied cooly, and looked Tobias straight in the eye. It didn't take much to figure he was the alpha of this pack.

"I would greatly appreciate if you left Will alone in the future."

Tobias scoffed and glared right back at Hannibal.

"Well, I would greatly appreciate," Tobias mocked, "if you stayed out of our business."

Hannibal smirked.

"Oh, I'm afraid that's no longer an option."

While the bullies stood in shock, Hannibal took the time to lead Will by the arm to a table far away. They would be back, no doubt, but not anytime too soon.

"Will?"

Will looked up and muttered to himself.

"Yes?"

"I hope you are alright-"

"I can handle bullies, I've been doing it all my life!"

_Rude._

Hannibal nearly flinched, and Will noticed. He sighed and adjusted his glasses.

"I...I'm sorry. That was harsh, it's just that...well now they're going to pick on _both_ of us."

"Do you think I can't take care of myself anymore than you can?"

Will thought about it, and then realized sheepishly how easily Hannibal had unnerved the bullies.

Unnerved even him.

"I guess you're right." Will conceded. "Were you a bodyguard in a past life or something?"

Hannibal chuckled at that, and they easily dropped the subject as they joined the stream of students flowing out the door.

The day went by smoothly, with Will further getting to know Alan and his friend, Devon, or rather Dev. He was glad that they were friendly- it didn't hurt that the both of them, as well as Hannibal, were in his psychology class. Will was so caught up in being social, but once it was time to return to the dorms, reality struck him again.

_Please let there be no nightmares, not after all this. And oh no not the sweat, no no no._

But of course, Will knew the likelihood of nightmares was only increased. He was away from home and in a room with windows and strangers and nothing familiar and-

Oh, great.

Will sighed and got ready for bed, walking Winston from the kennel to his room, considering ruining the sheets to let the dog sleep with him. It might ease the anxiety.

_Fat chance._

Hannibal was already in his pajamas, reading on the bed, when Will walked in. So that's where he was. Will couldn't help but find it amusing that Hannibal could barely keep his eyes open, glaring at the book in sleepy frustration. Hannibal looked up at Will and gave a nod of greeting before returning to his novel. Will glanced at the pages and realized it wasn't English. Lithuanian, maybe? He'd ask later.

At 10:30, the RA came around, telling all the dorms it was "quiet time."Hannibal had already passed out. Will was not quite so lucky. He lay awake, staring at the ceiling intently. He hated this. Took forever to fall asleep, and then sleep was just one whirlwind blur of a nightmare. He absentmindedly pet Winston's head.

 _Maybe since it was safer here than home, it won't be so bad_.

Holding onto that threadbare hope, Will finally allowed himself to shut his heavy eyes and drift off.

 

It was dark. Will looked around, hoping to find a sliver of light, to lead him. He stretched his arms out and found nothing. Probably outside. His feet were numb. Had he been walking long? Maybe it had snowed. How could he not feel anything?

Then he heard footsteps.

Will stopped. He couldn't tell where the sound came from. It was all-encompassing. But it only sounded like one set of feet. Will panicked. Was he underwater? In a huge tunnel?

The footsteps got closer. Faster. Will ran forward but the sounds were still surrounding him. He tripped and fell, yelping in pain.

Footsteps stopped. Maybe they would leave. Will sat up and looked over his skinned knee. It was bleeding, but he still felt nothing. And no more footsteps. Thank-

Suddenly hands were grasping at Will from the darkness. All over. Will gasped and choked as one hand grasped his throat. Now he felt something.

_Fear fear fear fear fear_

Will struggled, but the arms- claws?- slowly took over all of his limbs, dragging him down into the dark abyss below, away from the surface. Will sputtered. Drowning, this was definitely drowning. He looked up as far as he could and saw a faint light. He wanted to reach for it, but couldn't. Then the light spoke.

_"Will.....Will."_

"Will!"

Will finally snapped his eyes open, breathing shakily and bolting upright in his bed, his forehead smacking hard against someone else's

"Ow!" Will hissed and rubbed his head, then looked up. Hannibal was kneeling next to him on the floor, rubbing his temples.

"I'm sorry!" Will said quickly, throwing the covers off and turning to face him. Hannibal smiled tightly, regretting leaning over Will as he shook him awake.

"It's quite alright Will. I'm simply glad that I could wake you up. Your dreams seemed very unpleasant." Hannibal said. Will laughed hoarsely.

"Yeah, that's an understatement."

Hannibal got up from the floor and sat next to Will.

"Is it because you're homesick?" He asked gently.

Will sighed and shook his head, his expression amused.

"Oh, I wish. I've had these for years."

Hannibal nodded, as if he had already figured that out. Will then looked at Hannibal.

"Hey, where did Winston go?"

Hannibal pointed to the foot of the bed. Winston was on his dog bed, about to fall back to sleep.

"He was already trying to wake you up when I awoke, but then I believe you... kicked him in your sleep." Hannibal said softly. Will cringed.

"Great, I'm just beating everybody up." Will said and flopped backwards onto his bed. Hannibal chuckled.

"Oh, don't be melodramatic. It wasn't your fault." He assured Will. Will shrugged and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Yeah, but this is probably going to be a weekly event, at least." Will looked up at Hannibal plaintively. "Are you sure you want to still be my roommate?"

Hannibal sighed and rolled his eyes, smirking.

"Don't worry, Will, I can manage." He paused, then added coyly, "Though perhaps you could refrain from violence next time."

Will playfully punched Hannibal in the arm and the two laughed before Hannibal went back to his own bed, and they both went back to trying to fall asleep. Before Hannibal completely drifted off, he thought of the words he struggled to leave unsaid.

_Of course I don't mind, Will. Heaven knows I need someone to look over..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy, as always.
> 
> And, again, please alert me of spelling/grammar errors! : )


	3. An Interesting Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Classes actually start, and suspicious stuff occurs.

Will looked nervously at the hallway. Classes. Up until now, he could evade bullies easily, but now they would be sharing quarters. At least, it was more than likely. He took a deep breath and walked into his first class.

The day before, Alan, Dev, Hannibal, and Will had all gone over their schedules, swapping papers and highlighting subjects. Although Will had at least one of his new friends- he could call them friends, right?- in most of his courses, there were two without them.

And those were his first two classes. Dammit.

Will looked around at the room. History. He silently cursed that this was the one class of his that wasn't honors. Else he'd be with Dev and Alan. Hannibal got placed in an AP already. Lucky. Will steeled himself and took a seat on the furthest side of the room in the second row, next to a map of Britain. Inconspicuous, but close enough to hear the teacher. The other boys filed in, and class began. When the teacher went over the course material, Will was glad that Europe and Asia would be the main focus of the semester.

_Hopefully I can talk to Hannibal about Europe without sounding like an idiot..._

The first classes came and went, and finally it was the class Will was looking forward to, third period.

Will was glad that one of the school's finest courses was psych. It didn't hurt being so near Quantico, home of the FBI Academy, which made professional shrinks plentiful. And Will was lucky that the three friends he managed to make had also chosen that class. He quickly found said friends, when Alan waved to him. He sat between Hannibal and Alan, with Dev sitting behind them, poking Alan with a pencil eraser. Will was even more excited that the classroom was lecture hall style, as only a few of them were. It felt like a university.

_It felt official._

"Hello, Will." Hannibal said, smiling at his friend. Will smiled back and became less tense.

"Hey."

"Will how were your classes? Anything cool happen?" Alan asked excitedly. Dev snickered behind them and began poking Will with the pencil instead.

"Oh, Alan, he's only been gone for, what, not even two hours. Probably not much happened, huh?" Dev asked, rolling his eyes at Alan's enthusiasm. Will couldn't help but laugh when Alan glared daggers at the smirking Dev. Hannibal chuckled as well. Before Will could reply, the professor walked in and greeted the class.

"My name is Dr. Du Maurier, welcome to introductory psychology."

Dev poked Alan and whispered, "Isn't she also the guidance counselor?" Before Alan could nod, Hannibal replied, "Yes."

And then Will's soon to be favorite class began. 

 

At lunchtime, Will quickly sought out one of the furthest tables in the cafeteria. The one in the corner from before. Dev and Alan were at their usual table, and although they had politely offered a spot for Will, he instinctively declined. He could handle a few friends, but the thought of conversations with strangers was still frightening. Still, part of him hoped Hannibal would find his table and sit with him. He had to admit that part of the reason he was drawn to Hannibal as a possible friend was because he could- and had- defended him from the bullies. Speaking of bullies, he smiled amusedly, thinking of how the boys he'd had in his classes that looked at him cruelly in class, especially the trio from earlier, had yet to make an attack, verbal or otherwise. Compared to the bullies at his old public school, these prep boys seemed tame.

_Well, that or they simply waited until classes ended._

Will shuddered and tried to push the thought away. When lunch ended, Will noted Hannibal didn't sit with him after all. He thought nothing of it and figured he had sat with Alan and Dev. After all, Will supposed he couldn’t really consider him his friend yet, right? He hardly knew him.

Will walked into his English class, and was pleased to see Hannibal already in class, and a seat open next to him. Hannibal looked up when Will sat down and greeted him politely. While the rest of class filed in, Will considered asking Hannibal where he had been at lunch, but then mentally chided himself. It wasn't as though Will had asked him to sit with him, and there was no unwritten contract between them- _yet_ \- that they would sit together. While Will turned these thoughts over in his head, he missed the nasty look Tobias shot at Hannibal when he walked in, or the smug glare Hannibal tossed back in retaliation.

"Now, class, I think you should spend the rest of class simply writing some creative prose. Get the creativity flowing." The teacher noted the looks on the boys' faces and added, "This will not be graded or collected."

The collective rustling of crisp paper and clicking of pens was all that could be heard in the room. Will felt out of place when he saw the fancy pens the other students used- old fashioned, nibs and all. Will shrugged it off though. He may have been awful at social interactions- introverted to a fault, his old teachers would say. But, damn, could he write. For today, Will decided to write about Winston. Described him, running and rolling like an idiot in the fall leaves. Sometimes Will, when he wasn't motivated enough write anything with a plot but was still itching to write, would simply describe something. A messy room, the linoleum floor of the hospital, a ray of sunlight. Anything. It calmed him, when he was having an episode. After all, if he could describe something real, that someone else could see, surely it meant his grasp on reality was firmer than he felt at times.

Will never wrote about his dreams.

Will looked over to Hannibal, who was deep in thought. Will admired Hannibal's handwriting- looping, smooth, and thin cursive, with a noticeable slant. It was lovely, especially when compared to Will's rudimentary but legible scrawl, but Will couldn't read it from this distance or angle. Maybe he'd ask later what it was.

 

Will breathed in the crisp autumn air as he left the school building. The abundant trees on the grounds made for a plethora of umber, orange, and scarlet leaves. He walked towards the kennels to fetch Winston when he heard heavy and fast footfalls behind him. He slowed his pace and moved to the side of the path in case that someone had to run past him. However he froze when he heard a familiar voice call behind him,

"Tobias, it's not worth it!"

It was Franklyn, the pudgy bully sidekick from yesterday's lunch. And Tobias was with him.

Will turned and flinched in anticipation of the beating. Of course the courtyard was empty, devoid of any souls who would bother to help him.

 _Where was Hannibal when you needed him?_ Will wondered sarcastically. He could see an exquisitely pissed-off Tobias heading in his direction, and a huffing and pleading Franklyn jogging behind him. Will watched and prepared for a beating as Tobias came closer and... wait, that couldn't be right. Will's eyes widened as he watched in bewilderment Tobias ran right past him. Franklyn came to a stop next to Will, wheezing and glaring at Tobias' general direction. He shot a nasty look at Will, but said nothing, and returned on his chase of Tobias.

Will stood in shock. He mumbled to himself and finally continued on to the kennels.

Distracted by Winston, Will had managed to put aside the odd encounter for a while. When he returned to the dorms, however, he thought it was odd that Hannibal was not there yet.

“Oh, maybe he’s socializing. That thing I don’t like to do.” Will mumbled to himself. Winston cocked his head, as if silently judging Will’s life choices. Will set to work on what little homework he had for the first day, and by the time he had finished, it was dark out. Will considered going to dinner, but simply wasn’t that hungry- he was plenty used to skipping meals, on nights when the kitchen was empty and dad was gone. So instead he settled on reading and petting Winston, tuning out the world for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I might hold out longer on this update, but I couldn't resist!   
> In case anyone was wondering, I thought I'd make Will a good writer because, assuming he writes his own lessons in the show, he must be at good at it. And of course Hannibal has killer handwriting. : )


	4. A Great Way To Start The Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, eventually Hannibal shows up, and we learn just what he's been up to all day...

The moment eight o’ clock came, when Will finally wondered where his roommate was, the door slowly opened. Will looked up, then blinked and put his book down. He instantly felt guilt hit him in the chest, choking up in his throat. Hannibal purposefully stared down at the floor, away from Will. Readjusting his mask of emotional complacency. Yet Will could clearly see Hannibal’s disheveled clothes, his tie undone and the knees of his slacks dusty. His hair was falling onto his face and tousled haphazardly. He leant slightly to his right, his left leg appearing stiff and probably bruised. His lip was reddened but not bleeding, at the moment. And, the icing on the cake- a nice, puffy red ring around his eye, leaving Hannibal’s pristine left eye half-shut and sore. It would not become a black eye, but that didn’t make it look any better.

Will simply stood there as Hannibal shut the door behind him and went over to sit on the edge of his bed. He was still reeling through the thoughts jumbled in his mind: Could he have stopped Tobias and Franklyn? Would they have even hurt him if he didn’t have to help Will? Was there any way to salvage this friendship? Did people still put steaks on shiners? Will paused at that last thought- maybe he should have gotten off his ass to get dinner. He then cautiously approached Hannibal, and, after clearing his throat, asked,

“Was it Tobias and Franklyn?”

Hannibal looked up at him, and for a moment Will could see a flicker of pure rage behind his glossy maroon eyes, before he could properly mask his emotions in his calm façade.

“Yes, although it was more accurately Tobias. Franklyn seemed rather intent on keeping him from attacking- for whose benefit I’m not sure.”

Will winced when Hannibal’s lip split and trickled blood as he spoke, yet the older boy didn’t seem to notice. Will hesitated, then sat beside Hannibal, who looked at him as he did so.

_Ugh, no, not the eye contact_

“Um, do you need any help? Fixin’ yourself up, that is.” Will asked tentatively. Hannibal looked down at his bruised knuckles, as if just now aware of his state, and sighed.

“While I do not require assistance, the help would be appreciated.” Hannibal said. And so Will went and retrieved a black leather bag of bandages and other first aid equipment from the closet while Hannibal went to wash the blood off his face. When he returned, Will noted he had also changed from his clothes into pajamas, and wondered just how damaged his uniform had been. Hannibal smiled when he noticed how Will had laid out various first-aid supplies neatly on his own desk. Will motioned for him to sit beside him on his bed, and began with disinfecting his cut knuckles with hydrogen peroxide. Will felt a bit awed how Hannibal didn’t flinch when the clear liquid began to fizz and foam over the wound. As he finished with his left hand and moved to his right, holding his palm gingerly in his hand, Will wondered all the more how the fight had gone down.

“So, how’d it end?” Will asked, hoping it was appropriate to ask. Hannibal sighed softly and smirked.

“Well, it’s not likely that Tobias will be bothering us for a little while.”

****** 

Earlier that day, before lunch period...

“Franklyn, hello!”

Franklyn turned away from his locker to face Hannibal walking up to him, smiling- which, if he knew even the faintest thing about Hannibal besides how nice his cheekbones were, would have been a warning sign. Franklyn sighed, half-wishing Tobias or Freddy were there, half-glad the hall was empty.

“Jeez, you scared me. Whaddya want?” Franklyn spat as he closed his locker behind him and crossed his arms. Hannibal chuckled.

“Ah, still upset over earlier? I’m sorry about that, I simply was very... irritable that day.”

Franklyn normally would have at _least_ half-assed a rude retort, but Hannibal ended that remark by brushing his hand through his hair, so all he could manage was,

“Oh, yeah we’re cool. I mean, Tobias is pissed and Freddy too I bet, but we’re cool.”

Hannibal smiled warmly. “Good to hear.” He said, and clapped Franklyn on the shoulder.

“Say, speaking of Freddy, that’s his locker there next to yours, isn’t it?”

Franklyn nodded, gesturing to the locker with the “TattleTime” flyer for Freddy’s gossip blog taped up.

“Yeah, kinda gives itself away. And then Tobias has the one over by the water fountain and the physics room.” Franklyn felt giddy, he usually sucked at small talk, but Hannibal seemed more than pleased to continue this conversation.

“That so? Number 34?”

“Oh, no it’s under that one, 44.”

“Nice. Well, it’s nearly lunchtime, I best be off. But I’ll see you around, yes Franklyn?”

Franklyn nodded and stammered, “Y-yeah, course. Later!”

Hannibal turned and walked away, out towards the dormitories, away from the cafeteria. Once sure Franklyn couldn’t see him, Hannibal brushed his hands off on his slacks, and let the disgust show on his face.

“The things I do for pride...”

When Tobias opened his locker before English class, he found a small, inconspicuous note, taped up on the back wall of his locker. He shrugged, assuming it was from Freddy, since he knew the combo and Franklyn was too blunt to leave notes.

So when he opened the paper and found the neat, looping, unfamiliar cursive, and read the message, he saw red.

 

_Tobias,_

_I couldn_ _’t help but overhear Freddy whispering to some charming friend of yours about plans to further taunt Will Graham. Honestly, you should cut off both of your lackeys if you hope to achieve anything, but I digress._

_Should you ever_ _“lock the fag in the music room at night to see how much he cries_ _” I will personally force you to beg for mercy._

_If you take this note to anyone, I will not hesitate to reveal incriminating records of Freddy_ _’s to Headmaster Crawford. Do not cross me._

 

It was not signed, but Tobias knew all too well whose message it was. He stormed into class, and glared at Hannibal, who turned to him and smirked evilly.

Oh, he probably did get a hold of one of Freddy’s tapes, one of the prank videos. And he probably was a force to be reckoned with. That was why he was angry. But when Tobias sat down to Hobbs and smirked to himself, it wasn’t because of that troubling information.

It was because Will wasn’t the ‘fag’ they were planning on locking in the music room.

 

When music class ended and the other students left, Hannibal asked if he could possibly practice after, even though school was out, since he couldn’t easily take the Theremin to his room. Dr. Zeller agreed, and let Hannibal remain after class, knowing from other teachers he was about the most mature student they had ever seen. By the time Hannibal looked up from his practicing, the one small window in the building showed the blue sky beginning to tinge with oranges and pinks. He continued, playing a favorite aria of his.

Not time yet, but soon. Soon, the lion would be in the room. He would know.

 

Meanwhile, while the eerily enchanting notes flowed off the Theremin at Hannibal’s hands, across campus Franklyn tried in vain to quell Tobias’ anger.

“I can’t believe Freddy would be so stupid! He must have let him in his locker or something. Idiot!”

Franklyn laughed nervously. “Ha ha, yeah, well, maybe he figured it out from the blog or something, you know?”

He seriously did _not_ want Freddy to get blamed for this, because he would rat to Tobias about his... feelings towards Hannibal.

Tobias thought about it then huffed.

“Yeah, well, it could have one of Freddy’s stupid friends he keeps manipulating. He really needs to stop pretending to like those people. Whatever. Let’s just beat him up now, Freddy’s taking too long to get here.”

Franklyn panicked. Sure, Hannibal manipulated him a little, but, he was friends with the biggest liars on campus- it did nothing to deter his desire to _not_ see those cheekbones bashed in.

“Wait, dude, why? It’s the first day of school, can’t we wait?”

Tobias glared. “But we know exactly where he is, that kid told us he stayed late after band, and class didn’t end that long ago, he’s got to be there.”

“But it’s a stupid idea!” Franklyn blurted. Tobias froze, then seethed.

“What? Since when were you the brains? You’re not much of anything actually!”

“Tobias, it’s not worth it!”

And so Tobias sprinted off towards the music room, not caring if Tobias followed and too angry to notice Will Graham, standing on the sidewalk and looking utterly confused. Franklyn ran after him but had to stop for breath, and couldn’t help but glare at Will, who still hadn’t moved. He continued running, ignoring the boy stuck in the same spot behind him.

_Lucky bastard was Hannibal_ _’s friend_

By the time heavy footfalls could be heard outside the door, the warmth in the sky had completely taken over the blue. Hannibal smiled. He had switched from playing the Theremin to preparing just moments before.

Hannibal turned to greet his guests just as Tobias slammed the door open. Franklyn stood behind him, out of breath and red-faced. Hannibal smiled coldly.

“Hello, Tobias.”

“Cut that out. I’m here to surprise you, asshole!” Tobias replied, walking closer. Hannibal stood his ground and chuckled.

“Well, I hate to inform you, but you’ve failed in that.”

Tobias now laughed mockingly. “Oh, this wasn’t the surprise. The surprise, my _friend_ ,” Tobias said, now very close to Hannibal, close enough to realize that the fucker’s eyes were _red_ , “is that you were the one we planned on locking up in here all along.”

Hannibal smiled wider.

“I’m aware.”

Tobias was a bit taken aback.

“But-"

“Yes, my letter. It was addressing two separate issues. Don’t suppose you were able to figure that out. Shame, having an inferior rival. Well, vastly inferior.”

“Tobias, don’t!” Franklyn cried out.

Tobias threw a punch, hard, to the left side of Hannibal’s face. Hannibal caught it and twisted Tobias’ arm behind his back. When he stumbled in pain, Hannibal kicked him squarely in the gut, knocking Tobias to the ground. Franklyn ran off, not wanting to watch any inevitable return punches. Tobias grabbed hold of Hannibal’s legs and brought him down to the ground with a loud _thunk_. Hannibal’s eyes glinted with maroon and hatred in the fading sunlight.

When the two emerged from the music room thirty minutes later, Hannibal heading off to Ravenstag first, hoping he wouldn’t run into Will, and Tobias leaving with a black eye, twisted ankle, exquisitely sore shoulder, and bruises and scrapes galore. He could feel blood from his lip run into his mouth. He glared at Hannibal, who was ignoring his leg pain for now so he could walk properly to the dorms.

“I will destroy you.” Tobias whispered as he watched Hannibal walk into Ravenstag before retreating to his own dorm, Shrike Wing, where he had no doubt Franklyn would blubber and apologize for ditching and Freddy would be trying to hack into the school files for dirt on Hannibal.

****** 

“Oh, that’s good I guess.” Will replied, moving on to wrap Hannibal’s knuckles in bandages. He couldn’t help but think how it would look if Hannibal had tried to dress the wounds on his own hands, it was one of the harder things in life to do, it would be funny if he attempted it. Cute, even.

_Wait, what?_

Will noticed Hannibal had seemed to zone out, staring at the wooden floor.

“Hey, Hannibal, you okay?”

Hannibal blinked and looked back up at Will, and managed a small smile.

“Yes, sorry for that.”

Will chuckled. “Nah, I do that all the time, really.” He said, and chuckled, which made Hannibal’s smile grow a little.

“Now, looks like the only cut left is on your cheek, want a bandage for it?” Will asked, reaching back for the first aid kit. Hannibal nodded, and Will placed a small Band-Aid on the cleaned cut. Hannibal hardly noticed the fleeting moment of Will’s fingertips on his skin, but once he had thanked Will and gone to bed, and Will himself put his things away and shut off the lights, Will still felt the smoothness of foreign skin on his fingers, and he blushed. He went to bed, and by morning had forgotten the sensation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, a long(er) chapter!  
> I am sorry I cut the fighting short, but there will be plenty of fistfights in store- Tobias is definitely not done with these two!  
> And, I couldn't help but give Franklyn a mild crush on Hannibal. It's about the most canon (one-sided) relationships in TV, and why not give Hannibal something to exploit...
> 
> Enjoy!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


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